Cañada College
Spring 2009, Clay
English 100 AG: Reading & Composition
3 Units, transfer CSU, UC
CRN: 38872 MW 12:45 am - 2:00 pm room: 13-112

Instructor: David Clay email: clayd@smccd.edu
web page:<http://smccd.net/accounts/clayd/>
telephone (650)306-3379
office hours: room 3-242, MW 10:30-11:30, TTh 1:00-2:00 & by arrangement

Prerequisites:: ENGL 836 or 400 OR eligibility for ENGL 100 on approved college English Placement Test and other measures as necessary AND READ 836 with Credit or a grade of C or better OR eligibility for 400-level Reading courses on approved college Reading Placement Test and other measures as necessary.

Texts:
Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth. NY: Rodale, 2006.
Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers 5th edition
Kirszner & Mandell. Writing First. 3rd edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2006.
any college dictionary
Hours By Arrangement folder (in our college bookstore)

Course Description:
English 100 is a transfer level composition course. You will be expected to read critically and write well organized essays at university standards. Text assignments will be supplemented with materials from other sources.

Course Activities:
Large group discussions led by the instructor
Small group discussions, collaborations
Class presentations, videos, attendance at live theatre or campus presentations
Brainstorming, pre-writing, outlining, rough draft evaluations, final drafts, revisions of critical essays
In-class quizzes and examinations
Writing 8,000 to 10,000 words of expository prose, including at least 5 critical essays

Course Objectives;
Upon completion of the course, successful students will be able to
A. Critically read, analyze, and evaluate a variety of primarily non-fiction texts for their rhetorical and technical merit, with consideration of the principles of unity, coherence, tone, persona, purpose, methods, and the effects on a target audience
B. Write an analytical or argumentative essay, consisting of introduction, body, and conclusion, with an arguable thesis and persuasive support
C. Write a unified, well-developed, well-organized, and clearly written essay of at least 1000 words
D. Use sentences of varying structure and type in order to emphasize meaning, relationship, and importance of ideas
E. Organize paragraphs into a logical sequence, developing the central idea of the essay to a logical conclusion
F. Find, analyze, interpret, and evaluate outside sources, including online information. Incorporate sources as appropriate, using MLA documentation format.
G. Integrate the ideas of others through paraphrase, summary, and quotation into a paper that expresses the writer's own voice, position, or analysis
H. Use a variety of rhetorical strategies, which may include textual analysis, comparison/contrast, causal analysis, and argument
I. Revise, proofread, and edit their essays for public presentation so they exhibit no gross errors in English grammar, usage, or punctuation
Hours By Arrangement: 16 hours by arrangement is a course requirement. This is individual supplemental work determined by consultation with the instructor. These hours may include receiving tutoring in our Learning Center, doing on-line work in the Learning Center or at home, attending workshops, campus events, or other activities as assigned. Keep a brief record of your by- arrangement work.

Procedures:
Grades:Your grade will be based on 5 essays (one or more will written in class), a midterm, a final, and other activites, including quizzes, peer evaluations, group work, class presentations, and hours by arrangement. . You must read assignments before class, and be ready to participate in class discussions. Your grade will be computed as follows:
Essays 50%
Midterm 10%
Final 10%
Class participation 10%
Quizzes, homework, short assignments 15%
Hours by arrangement 5%
Late papers: If you must be late with an assignment, please let me know in advance of the due date. If you miss two essays, you may be dropped from the course. All major assignments are required for a passing grade in this class.
Plagiarism: Don't even think about it. If you plagiarize a paper or any part of a paper you may be dropped from the course or receive a grade of “F” for the course. In addition, you will be referred to the division dean for further discipline as appropriate. You may not hand in essays that you have written for other classes.
Revision: I may ask you to revise a paper or two. If you do revise a paper, be sure that you know what you should change. You may not receive full credit for the essay until it is satisfactorily revised. Take the time to meet with me and discuss your paper before you start the revision, and be sure to give me your first version along with your revision.
Format: Essays must be typed and double-spaced in MLA style.
Attendance: If you miss more than 4 classes, you may be dropped from the course. Please be on time to class. If you are late more than once or twice I will count your tardies as partial absences. Cell phones, and other electronic devices are great fun, but they are not appropriate for use in class. If you can't resist using your electronic toys in class I will ask you to leave, and I will consider you absent for that day.